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2024 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Des Moines, IA vs Council Bluffs, IA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Council Bluffs or is it cheaper to live in Des Moines?
- Council Bluffs is 4.4% less expensive than Des Moines.

Which city has more affordable housing, Council Bluffs or Des Moines?
- Council Bluffs housing costs are 6.6% less expensive than Des Moines housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Des Moines or is Health Care more affordable in Council Bluffs.
- Health related expenses are 4.1% more in Council Bluffs.
 Des Moines, IACouncil Bluffs, IAUnited States
 Overall86.682.8100
 Food & Groceries96.095.4100
 Health102.4106.6100
 Housing57.854.0100
 Median Home Cost$175,700$190,300$338,100
 Utilities8,960.0%9,090.0%10,000.0%
 Transportation74.782.4100
 Miscellaneous112.298.8100

100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Des Moines    53 Reviews

Des Moines is a ok and pretty quiet place but as a teen it could be dramatic because Des Moines do have is fair or violents places to avoid in Des Moines would be the  More

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Dude · 
Over 4 years ago

This city is violent, there are too many gangs especially on the north  More

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Over 5 years ago

Good for the old that like slow pace and cheap buffets. Also good for non-descript mid-westerners that don't like a lot of action. No nightlife or mountains to hike  More

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Reviews for Council Bluffs    4 Reviews

It's an okay city. Nothing special really. All the fun things to do and good restaurants are across the river in Omaha. I will say CB has some pretty good recreational  More

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Over 8 years ago

Quietly over the years this community has taken untold amounts of riverfront casino tax dollars and converted them into hundreds and hundreds of community improvement  More

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Over 14 years ago

here in council bluffs iowa, we have low crime rate. There have been an increase in shopping areas in the last 2 years and lots of new resturants and three casinos. It  More

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ZIPS IN DES MOINES, IOWA
50317, 50315, 50310, 50320, 50313, 50316, 50312, 50311, 50314, 50321, 12 total
ZIPS IN COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA
51503 51501

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